Sask. residents among most likely to donate

Saskatchewan was tied with Prince Edward Island for second place among provinces for percentage of tax filers donating to charity. (CBC)

People in Saskatchewan are more likely to donate to charity than most Canadians, a report from the Fraser Institute suggests.

The report from the B.C.-based research institute released this week says 25.2 per cent of Saskatchewan tax filers donated in 2010. With that number, they're tied (with Prince Edward Island) for second place among provinces.

Of all provincial residents, Manitobans were most likely to donate: 26.2 per cent of tax filers claimed deductions for charitable giving.

People in Newfoundland and Labrador came in last with a comparable figure of 21.1 per cent.

Looking at amount of donations, Saskatchewan didn't fare as well. The $1,519 average donation was 5th among provinces, well below No. 1-ranked Alberta's $2,289.

The study also looked at long-term trends in giving between 2000 and 2010. In Saskatchewan, about 9 per cent fewer people donated, while the portion of aggregate income donated to charity went down about 13 per cent.

The Fraser Institute noted that people in the United States tend to be more likely to donate than Canadians.